At 03:00 a.m. Beijing time on April 12, the first leg of the Europa League 1|4 finals will stage a high-profile battle, with the Reds Liverpool hosting the Serie A team Atalanta.
This season, Liverpool has regained its former peak form, the first 31 rounds of the Premier League, they have 21 wins, 8 draws and 2 losses, accumulating 71 points, currently ranked second in the Premier League standings, and the top Arsenal only has a goal difference, undoubtedly one of the biggest favorites in the Premier League.
In the Europa League, Liverpool faced a number of second-rate European teams and occupied a super dominance, facing Sparta Prague in the two legs of the 1|8 final, they beat their opponents with an aggregate score of 11:2 over the two legs, and easily reached the Europa League 1|4 finals. Against Atalanta this time, in order to reach the semifinals of the Europa League, Uncle Scum will not save his strength and will go all out.
The stats show that the two teams have not met many times in the past, with the most recent meeting coming in the 2020 Champions League group stage, when Liverpool won 5-0 away and then lost 0-2 at home. Therefore, Liverpool's encounter with Atalanta in the Europa League 1|4 finals this time should not be taken lightly. Here's a quick prediction of Liverpool's likely starting line-up.
In the goalkeeper position, it is naturally Kelleher who continues to guard the Liverpool goal, and at the back, it is not surprising that Uncle Scum will still sacrifice his often used back four formation, and the four defenders who are expected to start are Connor Bradley, Van Dijk, Konate and Robertson. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate will play in a two-centre-back pairing, while talented rising stars Conor Bradley and Robertson will play at wing-back.
In midfield, there is no doubt that the main midfielder responsible for interceptions and tackles in Liverpool's midfield will be Japan international Hang Endo, while it should be Hungarian star Szobosloy who will partner with Endo in a double midfield combination. In front of the two backs, it is naturally the Argentine midfielder star McAllister who sits in the front court as the offensive commander, strategizing, organizing and scheduling, leading Liverpool's front-court attack line, and providing the strongest firepower support for the forward line.
In the forward line, it should be the Uruguay international striker Nunez who charges for Liverpool up front, and the trident that will be formed with Nunez should be Egypt's Messi Salah and England's talented demon boy Elliott. South American talented winger Luis Díaz was rotated and on the bench.
To sum up, the final expected starting lineup of Liverpool against Atalanta is: Kelleher, Connor Bradley, Van Dijk, Konat, Robertson, Endo, Szobosloy, McAllister, Salah, Nunez, Elliott